A bit boring.

So, I'm kind of boring these days. 

Boring in a good way.  Boring as in routine, I suppose.  Not as in "dull." 

His hair was getting so long, so I styled it a bit during bath time.  And, yes, the Mt. Dew bottle is a bath time favorite.

I've been a little overwhelmed my blessings as of late.  Last week I traveled to Minneapolis, MN for my work's "Pop-Up HQ."  Since we don't have a physical headquarters (yet), we have a quarterly meeting where everyone travels to one spot for a week of co-working and planning.  This was my second one with the company and they are always awesome.  It's so great to get together with the great team and refocus.  I really love my company and my job and I'm so grateful to be a part of this team. I am also so grateful to have my mama nearby now who is willing (and able!) to watch Will when it turns out Geoff and I were on business trips the same week!

Out for a walk in the neighborhood after a much-needed (and very traumatic haircut).

Will just gets smarter and sillier by the moment.  He likes to race.  We took him to the park last night and would have races on the grass.  We count...1, 2, go!!  He's a really independent little guy and if he can do it for himself, he'll find a way.  Nevertheless, when he knows he can't do it, he'll gladly hand it to me or Geoff and ask for help.  He still loves his "cars" has started referring to some of his other favorite things as cars.   The TV and remote are "car", my iPhone is "car", his stroller is "car".  It's cute.  He does say a lot more, too.  He likes to point out mail (mailboxes), flowers, trees (and cars, of course) on our evening walks.  He said bubbles last night for the first time while we were blowing bubbles.  So, that was fun. 

I was cooking dinner one day and I peeked into the living room to see what he was up to and found this scene.

Another dad we ran into at the park last night commented on what a big boy he was (Will was the same height and weight as his 2 and 1/2 year old daughter) but then on what a "great energy" Will had.  He went on to explain that lots of boys his age just seem so out of control and he thought Will was just a great little one.  That made my mommy pride beam a little.  He IS such a good guy.  Laid back and sweet, but still has some serious spunk and personality.

Playing Guitar Hero with dad. He plays half the time and dances the other half.

I'm grateful for California.  I often miss my friends from Fargo, but I know this was the right move for us.  I'm so grateful for a husband who has embraced this beautiful area in which we live and is willing to make a home with his little family - wherever that has taken us. 

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Picture Overload

Rather than try to recap everything we've been up to, I'll do a little photo essay going back to mid-June when Geoff's family came out to visit and took us back to Utah with them up through the 4th of July. And, of course, most of the photos will be Will.  But, Geoff and I were around, too.  :)

Geoff and his family took the ferry from San Francisco - I couldn't go, but this pic makes up for it.

We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  This is me and Geoff's sister Steffanie.

Here is Steffanie and another one of Geoff's sisters Angelica looking lovely!

Here's almost all us ladies. Not sure where Becca is!  Left-Right: Jen, Me, Steffanie (quite pregnant for a 12 hour road trip!), Angelica, Shelley)

Jellyfish at the aquarium.

Will seems to have inherited my proclivity of squeezing one's head into banisters.  Luckily these ones outside the aquarium are too close together to get stuck. 

Walking back from the aquarium.

Will being quite a charmer at the Parker family reunion in Utah.  All afternoon at a park?  He was in heaven!

At the family reunion Will had a blast running and tagging all the bases on the softball field.

Back home and Will has finally embraced the joy of slides.

9th Street Park is about a 10 minute walk from our house and I just LOVE to take Will there.  I mean look at the view from the swings!

Into July now.  July 2nd - story time with Grandma and cousin Cole at Grandma's house.

Getting ready for the 3rd of July parade - kisses from Will.

Blowing bubbles at the 4th of July barbecue.  He won't let me do anything for him anymore.  Even holding the bubble jar was a fight.

At one point he got his sunglasses out and just cruised around the barbecue like the cool guy he is.

He thought the fireworks were AMAZING.

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Oops...

Do you ever do something stupid?  Like, I just want to bury my head in the sand and pretend like no body can see me stupid? 

Yeah.  Me, too. 

Like, today, for example.  I was booking a flight for the fam.  We are going to Utah for a family reunion later this month.  We are driving there, but flying back.  So, I was purchasing our one-way tickets.  I got everything booked and was pleased with myself.  When I looked closer at the reservation. 

Oops. 

I booked it the wrong direction.  Getting back from Utah will be hard when our plane is flying from Oakland to Provo.  Dang. 

Insert head in the sand.  Please pardon me while I sit on hold for the next hour hoping that someone can help me fix this mess. 

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Last Weekend

True fact about moving to California: My weekends are not what they used to be.

My weekend routine used to be pretty much a science:

Friday Afternoon/Evening: Play with the kiddo until bedtime, watch a show with Geoff/hang out.
Saturday Morning: Make a grocery list, go grocery shopping with Will
Saturday Afternoon: Clean and do laundry while Will napped (Geoff was at work)
Saturday Evening: Hang out and play with the kiddo until bedtime.  Watch a show with Geoff or play games.
Sunday Morning: Church
Sunday Afternoon: naps for all
Sunday Evening: (see the previous two evenings).

It wasn't exciting, but it was routine and easy.  We had nice weekends.  Now, we have AWESOME weekends.  Ha.  Weekends involving helping my mom cater weddings, baby showers, walks by the water.

And then, there was last weekend:

Friday Evening: Star Trek Into Darkness with Geoff, my dad, my brother, and my sis-in-law (SIL) Lindsay.

Sorry we are grainy.  Movie theaters aren't the best for photos.

Saturday Morning: Rehearsing my song for Sunday's concert and trying to find an outfit to wear for said concert.
Saturday Afternoon: Mad dash to get the house decent enough for a baby sitter to see it.
Saturday Night: A's game with Geoff followed by Star Trek Into Darkness-themed fireworks.  We watched from the center of the outfield and it was a great fireworks show!  Bonus: The A's won!

The view from on the field while we waited for fireworks.

Sunday Morning: Tech rehearsal for the VOENA Alumni concert that afternoon
Sunday Afternoon: Performing in both group numbers and a solo at the concert.
Sunday Evening: Dinner with the Gam Fam and Will playing with his cousin until well past his bedtime.

It was a really fun weekend.  Luckily this coming weekend isn't quite to jam packed so we'll get a bit more relaxing in.  Geoff starts his job next week, so he'll probably want to soak up all the lazy time he can.  

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Californians

Geoff and I (and Will) braved the DMV today (which all-in-all was a very good experience) and spent the requisite money to become licensed Californians. 

We both passed our tests (although, since I was technically renewing, I didn't have to take the whole thing, just the first half) and then registered the Kia - who now doesn't stick out like a sore thumb driving around.  It's quite exciting!  Although, then I had to update our car insurance...and it's more expensive to insure a car in California (no surprise, of course), so that's a bummer.

And, additionally, we are both not only Californians, but employed Californians!  Geoff was offered (and accepted) a job on Friday.  I'll wait to share any details - because he hasn't yet.  But he's going to be great and, even better, he's going to love it.

Now, just one California logistic left...daycare.  Wish us luck!

P.S. We live in the Golden State and our street name (in spanish) is Street of Gold.  There is a reason that the 3OH!3 song Streets of Gold is always in my head...

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The things you learn...

So, my new job has introduced me to the awesome world of work-from-home.  Now, admittedly, this might not be for everyone.  Luckily I work for a company who embraces the "mobile worker" idea entirely.  Sometimes I work from home, sometimes I meet up with co-workers at various co-working locations around the Bay Area, sometimes I work from my dad's office at my parent's house while my mom watches the little man.  I love it.  I have the right personality and work style to be focused and successful working remotely.  However, a home office does bring up a few realizations.

1) I'm not as tidy of a person as I'd like to think.   When no one else ever sees your office, the incentive to make sure all your files are in order and that there's not a plate of leftovers living on your desk for two days is significantly diminished.

Okay, it's not THAT bad.

2) I drink A LOT of soda.  Like, A LOT.  This isn't news to anyone who has ever spent an afternoon with me, but still.  I have an Ikea expedit desk (which I love), but this means there are for cubes that are under my desk and unseen.  I've been storing cans in there for 3 weeks now.  I just brought up a garbage bag to take them down to the recycling.  It's half full.

3) I'm not as lazy as you might think.  I don't ever work in my pajamas or without makeup.  It just doesn't appeal to me and I don't think I'd get nearly as much work done looking like I just rolled out of bed.

Okay, shoes are optional.

4) I need surprisingly little to get my job done.  Co-working at various locations around the Bay Area has made me realize how very little I need to carry around to get in a full day of work.  My MacBook, cell phone, notebook, headset (earbuds with a mic), wallet and travel mouse are really all I need to be really productive.  At home I've got a few more goodies (giant monitor, keyboard, etc...), but it feels good to be streamlined.

5) Food is not my friend.  A fully-stocked kitchen is a dangerous thing.  Especially when the only real excuse to get out of the office is to go down for a snack.  I eat far too many snacks.  I need to find a new break hobby!

If I'm not careful...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take my dishes to the kitchen now...and maybe grab a snack. ;)

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18 Months

I can't believe my little bean is 18 months old.  I know it sounds like a cliche - but the time has just flown by.  I swear, every time that kid wakes up from a nap he's gotten cuter and smarter.  He is learning so fast and is just really a joy to be around.

He still doesn't say too much.  He's yammering all the time, just very little of it comes out in actual words we can understand.  His most common words (that we can understand) include car, doggy, cheese, light, fishy, uh oh, all done, yay!, uh huh, more, thank you, and, of course, mama and dada.  I was just musing today over the fact that he doesn't say the word "no."  He makes it clear to you when he doesn't want something, but doesn't actually say no.  It's kind of nice.  :)

At his 18-month check-up he weighed in at 29 pounds, 9 ounces and 2'11".  That puts him in the 95th percentile for both.  The doctor was very pleased that he is proportionate in height and weight.  I still can't believe that Geoff and I have a kid that is measuring in the 95th percentile.  He must take after his grandpa!

He loves his cars.  He takes one with him almost everywhere he goes.  He also loves actual cars.  Any time he sees one he stops what he's doing, points and says "car!"  He also loves to sing and dance.  At church, any time that a hymn starts, he climbs up onto the pew and grabs a hymn book and thumbs through it while we sing.  

Moving to California has changed this kid's life.  He LOVES going outside.  He "pets" all the plants as he walks by and loves to point out birds, flowers, grass, rocks, and trees.  I try to take him out for a walk or to the park every day after work.  Geoff just built a gate to close in our patio area as well, so he can go out on the patio and play in his new pirate ship sandbox/slide that we bought.  

He can almost do "head, shoulders, knees and toes."  He knows his head and toes and gets his knees about half the time.  He is very pleased with himself when he does it.  :)

He's the most handsome, sweet little 18-month old I know and I'm so excited to watch him continue to grow. 

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